He was a son of Thomas Burk (b.c. 1785) and Dorcas Rice (b.c.
1790 in Boone Co., KY), married about 1818 in Boone Co., KY.

It may well be that Absolom Graves Burk was not descended
from a Graves ancestor, but was only named for Absolom Graves, a prominent
Baptist preacher of the time[1],
who lived in Boone Co., KY.The
ancestry of his father is not presently known, but his mother was a daughter of
William Rice and Eleanor Dennison.No
Graves ancestry has been found yet.(R‑1)

Absalom (or Absolom) Graves (527) was born 28 Nov. 1768
in Culpeper Co. (now Madison Co.), Va., and died 17 Aug. 1826.He married Felicia White, daughter of John
White and Polly ‑‑‑‑‑‑, on 18 Dec. 1789 in
Orange Co., Va.She was born 20 Nov.
1771, and died 19 Feb. 1851 at their home in Boone Co., Ky.She is said to have led a very devout and
charitable life.They moved from
Virginia to Kentucky with the rest of his parents' family.He was prominent in civil life before 1810,
when he was ordained a minister in the Baptist Church.He became distinguished throughout Kentucky,
Ohio, and Indiana.

The following is extracted from a sketch of this
remarkable man (as quoted by John Card Graves), "written by Rev. A. C.
Graves of Lebanon, Ky., who had studied and become perfectly familiar with his
character.""In early life,
there was about Absolom Graves a manliness and fascination which won the
respect of all classes and foreshadowed the patriarchal position he was to
occupy in the world.He was studious,
devoting his leisure hours to self-improvement, and became the best educated
young man in his community.His fitness
for civil responsibilities was soon recognized and he was made Clerk of the
Quarter Sessions in 1779, the year after Boone Co., Ky. was formed.He held that position until 1805, when the
Circuit Court was formed and he was made clerk, which office he held until just
before his death in 1826.He was
ordained to the Christian ministry in 1812, and was Pastor of the Bullittsburg
Baptist Church for many years, and the author of the hymn book entitled
"Graves Hymns".He was known
as an exemplary man and his life was a blessing to the world."

Speaking of him, Rev. John Taylor says, "Perhaps
the Gospel of the Saviour never came better recommended by human
character."It was said of him by
one who knew him well, "He was a model for any man.He was the most upright, perfect man I have
ever known in my life."He was a
prosperous man and accumulated a comfortable property.He erected the first two-story brick house
built in Boone Co., Ky., which, somewhat remodeled, was still standing back
from the bluffs which overlook the Ohio River opposite the mouth of the Miami
River which divides Ohio and Indiana around 1900.(R‑915)